Into the Current, created for the Kites Over Vista public arts program, represents the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and the marine litter that gathers there due to circular currents in the Pacific Ocean that act like giant whirlpools, trapping plastic detritus and other debris. The title of the piece, Into the Current, has a double meaning, alluding to both the ocean currents and the current reality of the health of our oceans.

The three outer sections—or fins— represent the movement of the currents while the spiral and the circle at the center signify the swirling of the marine debris as it moves toward the “trash vortex.”

As an avid beach cleaner, I found much of the attached pieces of plastic washed up on San Diego North County beaches. My sister and her husband, Judith Selby Lang and Richard Lang, also provided plastic that they have collected from Marin County beaches. In addition, beach cleaners from around the world contributed bits to make Into the Current an international effort, illustrating that people everywhere have a direct environmental impact.

You can find Into the Current in front of The Wave Waterpark at 101 Wave Drive in Vista, California.

The marine debris that makes up Into the Current includes many unrecognizable pieces of plastic, but it also includes familiar things, and many aspects of modern culture are represented. Bottle caps, toys, grooming products, kitchen items, and much more are curated by the tides.

Look closely at the sculpture, and try to find some of the objects listed below. Can you spot items that you use in your household? Do you see anything that could have once been yours?

Everything I pick up has the potential to do harm. When I clean debris off of the beach, I know that I am helping marine creatures who could become entangled it, and I realize that I am preventing sea life from ingesting harmful plastics.

Every bit I remove is one less piece added to the vast amount of marine debris that already exists. Estimates of the amount of plastic in the oceans vary, and the exact size of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is unknown, but there is one thing I am certain about—an an ever-increasing amount of trash is washing up on the beaches where I walk.

If you would like to learn more, the trailer for the film A Plastic Ocean provides an impactful look at the seriousness of the problem. The short film Our Debris Filling the Sea offers an interesting overview, and the Trash Talk video series presents a kid-friendly introduction to the topic that is accessible and educational.

Fact Sheets

I am grateful to instructor Nick Scott and the students in the Metal Fabrication course offered through Mira Costa College’s Technology Career Institute. They did professional quality work as they constructed the complex 5’ x 5’ structure out of steel flat bar, rebar, and galvanized metal mesh.

This project would not have been possible without the encouragement of my sister and her husband, Judith Selby Lang and Richard Lang. For close to 20 years, they have been collecting plastic refuse from Kehoe Beach in Marin County, California. They use what they find to create beautiful works of art that have been on view in museums and galleries world-wide. A short documentary film called One Plastic Beach tells their story. They offered their love and support throughout the process—and supplied beach plastic used in the creation of Into the Current.

I am also grateful to the environmental activists who brought us together through social media and shared hashtags. To learn more or to join the one of the trash-picking, beach-cleaning, planet-loving communities, please visit: